1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for protecting vehicle occupants from injury. More specifically, the present invention relates to an expandable pelvic side airbag assembly that is designed to protect a vehicle occupant during an accident or crash.
2. Description of Related Art
Inflatable airbags enjoy widespread acceptance as passive passenger restraints for use in motor vehicles. This acceptance has come as airbags have built a reputation of preventing death and injury over years of use. Studies show that in some instances, the use of frontally-placed vehicular airbags can reduce the number of fatalities in head-on collisions by 25% among drivers using seat belts and by more than 30% among unbelted drivers. Other statistics suggest that in a frontal collision, the combination of a seat belt and an airbag can reduce the incidence of serious chest injuries by 65% and the incidence of serious head injuries by up to 75%. These numbers and the thousands of prevented injuries they represent demonstrate the life-saving potential of airbags and the need to encourage their use, production, and development.
Airbags are generally linked to a control system within the vehicle that triggers their initiation when a collision occurs. Generally, an accelerometer within the vehicle measures the abnormal deceleration caused by the collision event and triggers the ignition of an airbag inflator. This control system is often referred to as an electronic control unit (or “ECU”). The ECU includes a sensor that continuously monitors the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle and sends this information to a processor that uses an algorithm to determine whether a deceleration experienced by the vehicle is caused by a collision or accident. Additional sensors may be linked to the ECU to allow the proper detection of side-impact collisions, rollovers, etc.
When the processor of the ECU determines, based on a set of pre-determined criteria, that the vehicle is experiencing a collision, the ECU transmits an electrical current to an initiator assembly connected to an inflator that is coupled to the airbag module. The initiator activates the inflator. An inflator is a gas generator that typically uses a compressed or liquefied gas or mixture of gases, a solid fuel, or some combination of the above to rapidly generate a volume of inflation gas. The gas inflates the airbag, which deploys into the path of the vehicle occupant and absorbs the impact of the vehicle occupant.
Recently, airbag technology has continued to advance such that airbags are now used to provide side impact and/or roll-over protection to the vehicle occupants. Curtain airbags attempt to combat the dangers of side impact or roll-over accidents by having a curtain airbag unroll or unfold downward from the roof of the vehicle and then inflate beside the person as a means of preventing the person from hitting the door, the window, or the side of the vehicle during lateral impact.
Furthermore, pelvic airbags have been developed to provide additional impact protection during side impact or roll-over conditions. These pelvic airbags are usually made of a woven nylon material and are attached to the vehicle's seat frame under the seat foam and fabric. More specifically, the pelvic airbags are positioned on the seat frame such that in the event of an accident or crash, the pelvic airbag will inflate and prevent the occupants' pelvis from harmfully impacting a portion of the vehicle.
Many pelvic airbag systems are currently designed such that the pelvic airbag is integral with a seat-mounted thorax cushion that is constructed to inflate and protect the occupants ribcage and/or sternum during a crash. However, because the pelvic airbag requires a higher pressure and a shorter inflation time than does the thorax airbag, it is often difficult to implement and install such integrally designed airbag systems on a wide variety of vehicle types and models. As a result, the practical applications of such integrally designed pelvic airbag systems have been severely limited.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a novel pelvic airbag system that addresses and/or solves one or more of the above-listed problems. Such a device is disclosed herein.